Italian football suspended after police fatality

Football in Italy has been suspended indefinitely after a police officer died during fan violence at a Serie A match between two Sicilian teams last night. The action includes all Serie A and B matches and Italy's friendly with Romania scheduled for next Wednesday.

"I have demanded a stop to all activity of football in Italy," said the Italian football federation commissioner, Luca Pancalli, after an emergency meeting. "Enough is enough. It's a situation that I cannot speak of. To lose your life at 38 is incredible. This is not a sport. The football tournaments will remain suspended until we solve the violence in our football."

Rioting fans forced the Catania v Palermo match to be suspended in the 58th minute - with Palermo leading 1-0 - after tear-gas filled the Angelo Massimino stadium. The match restarted after about 30 minutes but the violence continued after the game, which Palermo won 2-1. According to reports the officer, named as Filippo Raciti, died after an explosive device struck him in the face outside the stadium. He was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries.

About 100 people were reported to be injured, some seriously, after fighting in the build-up to the game and throughout the evening, and after the final whistle the players and staff were held in the stadium by police while the area was secured.

"I am extremely disappointed. Things cannot continue like this," said the Palermo coach, Francesco Guidolin. "We had to go back to the changing rooms because we couldn't breathe. If we cannot get into our heads that football is a sport we cannot live in the world of football."

The Palermo president, Maurizio Zamparini, said: "This evening no one has won. We have all lost. These people are not fans but are delinquents that in other countries like England would have been arrested and seriously punished. We need more severe laws."